Happy Endings Come in All Shapes and Sizes
by bloodandcocoa
Summary: Episode 36 told from Danny's perspective. Why would she go into the godforsaken pit for the insufferable undead, dead girl? Why would she give up her happy ending with Laura for the snarky, pain in the neck? Explores Danny's thoughts of that day. Mainly Carmilla/Danny with some Hollstein and Hollence, basically OT3. Danny centered.


**Basically I can't live with heartbroken Danny and this is my way of coping with it. Its also what I do as my study breaks. Again, this is unbetaed but hopefully I've caught most of the mistakes. Hope you guys like it!**

**Cheers!**

* * *

Danny stared down at the nearly hundred metre deep pit beneath the Lustig Building. The coloured smoke had long since blown away, but still she sat, unmoving on the scorched edge, legs dangling limply down the the rocky side.

A few moments earlier, Kirsch and a bunch of his Zeta bros had come running into the Summer Society house, screaming her name. Danny had been in her room, trying to find a place to put the trident that Kirsch had given her because she was now an honorary Zeta, whatever that meant. The whole battle thing had taken its toll on everybody, especially on Laura which in turn affected Danny. But the yelling dragged her into the front foyer of the house, trident in hand, ready to spear whoever dared interrupt her peace.

"So, the bros and I were gonna celebrate our victory in the battle. And we had a bunch of cherry bombs leftover from the quad mixer. So we decided that we would throw them into like the pit. At first it was really cool like all these colours-"

"Just get to the point Kirsch," Danny growled, rubbing her temples, of course the Zetas were throwing cherry bombs into the pit where the soul devouring light monster once was.

"Okay, okay. Sheesh bro. You gotta chill out, we Zetas are chill," Danny shot him another pointed look that made him swallow nervously. "Okay, so we threw a bunch of cherry bombs in there and they went off. But then there was this like rumbling noise that was definitely not from the cherry bombs so we all booked it."

"You're telling me, that you think there's something still in the pit and all of you, testosterone filled guys, ran with your tails in between your legs to me," Danny looked at them with a look of disbelief.

Kirsch squirmed uncomfortably, "Well, when you put it like that... We just thought that like you're the pro monster hunter around these parts, especially since You-Know-Who is gone."

"Carmilla," Danny corrected him immediately, "You can say her name around me." The least Danny could do was acknowledge what had happened at the battle, unlike half the student populace who were involved in the battle, ignorance might be bliss, but it was also strangely disrespectful. "Okay you guys try to keep anyone else from going to the pit. I don't need mass panic. I'll go see what's up."

Or more accurately, what's down... there in the pit. At first, it was hard to see anything with the remnants of the Zetas' cherry bombs still lingering in the air. So Danny set down the trident and her hefty length of rope and sat down on the edge and waited. There were no more rumblings or any noises actually so Danny let her thoughts wander.

She didn't know what she would do if there was actually something still in the pit. The last resident had been dealt with quite solidly by Carmilla, and not only did she have her vampiric super powers, but a legendary light sucking blade. Danny? Well, Danny had a trident and some rope. As strong as she was, she was no vampire.

But eventually the smoke and dust cleared away and Danny steeled herself to face whatever was down there. For Laura, she reminded herself. Carmilla did not sacrifice herself killing that light for some other thing to come and eat the younger blonde. Except what Danny saw down there was nothing that she could've ever prepared herself for.

A pale form lay at the bottom, discarded like some rag doll that a child was done playing with. Danny froze, her mind reeling. There was nobody else around and Danny allowed herself the time to think.

Did she go down and retrieve Carmilla? Or did she pretend nothing happened and go on with her life? While Danny wasn't a vengeful person per se, she had a very good memory. Let's just say she didn't forget easily, or forgive for that matter. And she did hate the dead girl, well maybe not as much, seeing how she technically saved her life. But Carmilla did play a part in driving a wedge between her and Laura. Without Carmilla and her sarcastic remarks and smirks egging it on, Danny doubted that the fight would have gone as badly. Plus with Carmilla gone, then she'd have... virtually no competition for Laura's affections. But also Laura would be grieving for a very long time.

Danny would get her happy ending with Laura, eventually, maybe after Laura got over Carmilla's death.

But with Carmilla possibly back, then Laura would stop grieving and being broody in her dorm room all the time. But Danny was fairly certain that Carmilla had pretty much won Laura's heart. So the chances of Danny getting her ending was slim to none. But also Carmilla would be back. Didn't she deserve a second chance? A shot at her happy ending?

What did Laura even see in Carmilla? This broody, insufferable roommate who refused to adhere to any sort of a norm? Danny could've been all that if she wanted to and more. Danny could've sat around all day and read existential books. Danny could've brought her hot cocoa every now and then. Danny could've protected Laura from any and all dangers. Danny could've... no she couldn't.

As much as it pained her, Danny realized that maybe Carmilla was good for Laura.

Laura was right, Laura needed a friend, not a dad. Someone who'd tell her, "go for it, and I'll be here if you fall" not "don't do it!"

Sure, Danny Lawrence was a fighter. But even she wouldn't have been able to beat the Dean, and the Lophiiformes. She wasn't Carmilla, nor could she ever be, not matter how hard she tried and she definitely shouldn't try to take Carmilla's spot.

As much as Danny hated the vampire, she also missed her a little bit. For all the times that Carmilla was annoying, at least she had consistency, and in a school like Silas, that was rare. Carmilla was just this constant figure, and sometimes, her presence just kept Danny rooted. And as much as Danny hated to admit it, that girl could really rock a pair of leather pants and corset. Besides, if she liked Laura too, then the least Danny could say was that she had great taste.

Danny chewed her lip, mulling over her options. Her eyes wandered downwards, back towards the pale form. Carmilla looked so young, so vulnerable at the bottom of the pit. There was a sense of serenity about her, you could never tell this was the same snarky vampire that had a sarcastic comeback for just about everything. Laura always had a way for attracting the broken ones didn't she? There was just something about that naive blonde, she didn't try to put all your pieces back together, but she was just accepting. So accepting and loving no matter what state you were in, and that just made you feel whole.

Did she go after her own happy ending? Was she selfish enough? Or did she give Laura and Carmilla theirs back? She loved Laura enough to want to see her smile and just be happy again. But Carmilla. Well.

"Dammit Carmilla!" Danny swore. She knew the answers to those questions long before she started thinking about them. Automatically, Danny found her hands tying the rope around the trident and planting the weapon into the side of the cliff. Then Danny let herself fall.

* * *

Getting down to the bottom of the pit was the easy part, some free falling mixed with some rappelling got her down in less than a minute. Getting back up was a whole other story. She threw Carmilla's limp body over her shoulder and secured her in place with the rope. The faster she got out of here, the better. The feeling of an unmoving, possibly dead Carmilla over her shoulder was an extremely unnerving one. How could someone who moved with such speed and grace be so lifeless right now?

Also the pit just smelled burnt, and that was also disgusting.

Thus began the long climb back to the top. It was a strange mixture of actual rock climbing and just scrambling up the rocks while hauling herself up with sheer upper body strength. "You've got this Danny Lawrence. You're doing this for Laura. You're doing this for Laura. Carmilla saved your life, you're just returning the favour. You're doing this for Carmilla, wait no, Laura. Ah shit. Who cares."

But nearly an hour later Danny collapsed next to the trident, exhausted. The first thing she did was make a call, "Hello? Perry?"

* * *

The trip to the dorms was fairly short in comparison to the hike up the side of the pit. Danny was absolutely exhausted, but she could rest after, Carmilla couldn't wait. Even from down the hall, Danny could hear Perry frantically explain the situation to Laura. The floor don's voice was getting higher and higher with each syllable as she struggled to remain calm.

Maybe Danny should've asked LaFontaine.

It was probably a better idea to let Perry finish preparing Laura for what was about to happen but Danny was absolutely exhausted and quite frankly needed somewhere to put Carmilla or she'd just drop her. So she cut Perry off in the middle of her sentence with a brisk, "Sorry, but she's heavier than she looks."

"Carm!" came Laura's excited shriek, racing over to her bed where Danny had gently laid the vampire despite her desperate want to just drop her.

"Okay, so we think she's- I mean she seems dead but she's a vampire right?" This would really suck if Danny had gone through all that work just to find out that she had actually hauled, essentially, a corpse all the way across campus.

"Blood! She needs blood!" Of course Carmilla did. Danny watched, some parts hopeful and some parts terrified of what would happen next. Would it work? What if it didn't work? What if it did?

But the Danny's relief, well. Half of her felt relieved, the other half just churned uneasily giving her this nauseous feeling. Carmilla stirred and rose very slowly from the bed. They all stood there in silence, watching her as if she would suddenly crumble into pieces. Finally, the vampire seemed to have gotten herself resituated and settled down on the corned of Laura's bed.

"Well that was a kick," Carmilla murmured and Laura leapt forwards to envelope her in a giant hug.

Danny's heart soared at the sound of Carmilla's voice. So constant. It was exactly the same as Danny had remembered it, albeit a little huskier, maybe from disuse? But at the same time, her insides twisted themselves into a painful knot. Danny had lost, if Laura's reaction to Carmilla's return was any sign.

Anything else that was said after that was completely lost on Danny as she stared at them emptily. Blood rushed to her ears and all she could hear was the sound of her own heart beating itself senseless. She should be happy for them, happy that they're happy. After everything that they've been through, they deserved it. They deserved it. But she never thought that it would hurt her like this.

It wasn't until Perry came up to her and nudged her gently that Danny came to her senses. The room was suddenly too small, the air too thick, she was suffocating. She needed to get out.

As hard as she tried to walk out of the room calmly, Danny knew that as soon as she was out of sight, she would fall apart. There was no way that she was going to let anyone see that. With no where to hide, Danny took off running, down the halls, out the door, across the campus and deep into the forest.

* * *

If she had been exhausted before, she certainly wasn't now. A violent sense of anger and sadness overtook her and she just kept running, and running, until her legs gave out and she collapsed face first into the grass. Tears were streaming down her face as she lay there, face down in the grass. She should've left Carmilla in the pit.

No, she couldn't have. She'd never be able to live with herself. Instead, living with the fact that Laura and Carmilla were together and that she played a hand in it was a much better option right?

She must've laid there for hours and fallen asleep out of sheer exhaustion. Too much had happened, and it took a mental as well as physical toll on her. By the time she woke up, the sun was low in the sky.

Defeated, Danny picked herself up off the ground and started heading back. She kept her head down and focused on each step, not letting herself think about anything else. It hurt too much.

Her feet must've known something that she didn't because Danny found herself in her personal training clearing, hidden inside the forest. It was very spartan, just a few sets of weights and a punching bag strung up on a thick chain between some trees. She used to come here all the time, just to relieve some stress and clear her head, and boy did she need both of those things right now.

So that's exactly what Danny did, she punched the shit out of the bag. The heavy black bag swung violently back and forth on its chain, the unfortunate target of all of Danny's emotions. Usually she brought a pair of gloves but today she didn't mind the way her knuckles smashed into the canvas packed with sand. The pain reminded her that she was still alive. There was definitely gonna be some bruising after but Danny could care less at this point.

Right hook, left hook. Right jab, left jab. Right hook, left hook. Right jab, left jab. Danny chanted to herself, forming this mantra in her head, blocking out all other thoughts. Finally, one particularly vicious right hook split the punching back right at the seams, sand pouring out messily all over the ground. Panting, Danny stared at it, battered hands on her hips. She felt better all right and if the stupid thing hadn't broken, she could've gone on indefinitely.

Someone whistled from behind her and Danny whirled around, face already morphing into a snarl. "That's some right hook you've got there," Carmilla strode confidently into view while she tucked her phone into her pocket.

Danny was taken back, the vampire looked much better already, a lot less pale but she definitely moved with a grace about her that was solely hers. Of course Carmilla would find her secret hideaway, the vampire spent so much time in the forest, Danny wouldn't be surprised if she knew it inside and out.

"What do you want," Danny spat, she was in no mood to deal with any of Carmilla's shit today, however familiar it might be.

"I thought you could use a sparring partner, especially since your last one... needs a break," Carmilla grinned devilishly, her fangs poking out.

Danny stared at her for a moment, debating whether or not this was a good idea or not. In all honesty it probably wasn't. But Danny wasn't about to let an opportunity to take a swing at the vampire pass. Without another word, Danny just leapt forwards with a vicious uppercut which Carmilla swiftly sidestepped.

"My, my. Eager aren't we?" Carmilla chuckled as she deflected another punch with her arm and leapt over a leg sweep. Danny only grunted in response and threw in a few jabs from the left. "I never got to thank you for lifting me out of the pit," Carmilla blocked a kick with both her hands and knocked away Danny's right hook with practised ease.

"You talk too much," Danny growled, she wanted to exchange blows, not words.

"And ain't that a rare occurrence," Carmilla replied softly, breaking through Danny's defence swiftly. Danny cringed, she was wide open. Except the expected blow never came, instead Carmilla rapped her gently in the forehead with her knuckles. "I just wanted to thank-you," well if Carmilla wasn't going to take advantage of this opportunity, then Danny was.

Danny reached out to grab Carmilla and toss her into a tree but Carmilla wasn't even there any more, having spun away at the last second, leaving Danny grasping at the empty space where she was.

"I know that it wasn't an easy decision for you to risk your life climbing down into that pit to get the undead girl who had never been anything more than a pain in your neck." Carmilla leaned back, barely dodging a roundhouse kick aimed for her face.

"Then maybe you understand why you're the last person I'd want to see right now," Danny hissed, trying to get a hold of Carmilla, anything, but the vampire was too quick and danced out of her reach again.

"Thank-you, Danny. That might not mean much to you right now. But really. I thank-you. You saved my life. You gave me a second chance at life. You gave me a chance at a life with Laura, with you." Carmilla caught Danny's punch swiftly and tightened her grip on it, refusing to let Danny's fist go. "I know you're a protector Danny. You protected Laura from my mother, and you protected me from my demise."

Danny stared at her, eyes hard, "You're wrong. I'm selfish, self-absorbed, nosy and overprotective. I didn't protect Laura, I nearly suffocated her freedom. I didn't protect you from your demise. I protected you from myself. Because I would've left you there to die!" Danny screamed in frustration and lashed out with her free hand. Much to her surprise, her fist made contact with flesh. Carmilla didn't even flinch as Danny socked her in the eye, just looked at Danny with concern?

"There, now we're even," Danny wrenched her hand away from Carmilla. The cool touch of the vampire's skin on hers still lingered as Danny turned away. "I can't even control myself, much less protect anyone. Now go away, before I give you more than a black eye."

"But I'm here, Danny. You're not just any protector, Danny. You protect those who can't protect themselves. You protect during those critical moments of weakness. I'm here because you overcame your own selfishness and chose me." There was silence, seizing the opportunity, Carmilla continued, "But you are not alone. Don't think that you have to continue this life by yourself. You've protected others all your life. Let us protect you. For some forsaken reason, you chose me, Danny. Let me."

* * *

Danny doesn't remember anything that happened after that. The next thing she knows, she's waking up somewhere warm and extremely comfortable. Slowly, she blinks her eyes, sunlight is streaming into the room, making her wince. Something, no someone, is touching her hand, bandaging it. She wiggles the fingers of her other hand experimentally and winces again. They're definitely bandaged as well.

Finally, her vision adjusts to her new environment and she opens her eyes fully. Laura is sitting beside her in her rolling desk chair, first aid kit open, Danny's hand in her lap. "Laura?" Danny asks, confused. Was she dreaming?

"Shhhh. You're gonna wake Carm," Laura smiles at the redhead adoringly. That's when Danny realizes that she's in dorm 307 and she's in Carmilla's bed with Carmilla curled up into her left side, using her shoulder as a pillow. She looks so at peace in this moment, yes young, but just so satisfied that Danny can't help but smile. An icepack is draped haphazardly over her right eye and you can see the purple bruise peeking out from beneath it.

"What is going on?" Danny whispers halfheartedly, still astonished that Carmilla. Distant, unaffected, aloof Carmilla, is curled up contentedly on her chest.

"Carm carried you back here last night. After you and Perry left, Carm and I well, we sorted things out. But then you came up and we decided that as much as this relationship was about us, you were pretty much caught up in the middle of it. Especially since you were the one to bring Carm back. We felt that you should have a say in things too, so we went looking for you." Laura finished wrapping up Danny's hand and held it gently between hers, rubbing soothing circles into her palm. "We were going to sit down and talk to you about joining us last night. But things got a little late, and here we are." Laura shrugged helplessly, she had an inkling of what really went down last night, especially when Carmilla came back sporting a nasty black eye.

"Wait, hold up, joining you?" Danny asked incredulously, never would she have thought...

"Yeah, like be our girlfriend. If you'll have us of course," Laura added hastily, waving her arms frantically.

Danny stared at her for a moment, wide eyed and mind reeling. For a second Laura thought Danny was going to bolt out of the room, but a grin quickly broke out and Danny has to physically bite back the cheering so she doesn't disturb the slumbering Carmilla.

"I'd be more than happy to," Danny whispers, taking Laura's hand in her bandaged one again and Danny feels Carmilla purr contentedly into her chest.


End file.
